BRISTOL, R.I. — The Roger Williams University Men's Lacrosse team delivered a strong all-around performance on Saturday afternoon, defeating Western New England 11–7 at Bayside Field for the first time since 1995.
The Hawks came out firing in the first quarter, building a quick 2–0 lead behind goals from Jack Kester (Londonderry, N.H.) and Ryan Vendetti (Farmington, Conn.). After Western New England responded with a tally from Jacob Roy, the Hawks answered immediately with unassisted strikes from Malcolm Steegstra (Gloucester, Mass.) and Matt Hemmert (Braintree, Mass.). Carter Shelton (Castle Rock, Colo.) capped off the quarter with a goal assisted by Kester to give Roger Williams a 5–2 edge heading into the second.
Eric Brooks (Milford, Mass.) took over in the second and third quarters, recording a hat trick and finishing with four goals on the day. His first came unassisted early in the second, followed by a man-up goal with a slick feed from Kester. Brooks added two more unassisted tallies in the third to extend the Hawks' lead to 10–5.
Kester played a key playmaking role throughout the game, notching two goals and a game-high three assists. He also bookended the scoring in the third quarter with an unassisted goal of his own before assisting on Shelton's second goal to make it 11–5.
The Hawks defense stood tall when it mattered most, especially in the third quarter, where they held the Golden Bears scoreless. Goalie Aaron D'Aversa (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) turned in a standout performance with 11 saves, including several crucial stops in the final minutes to preserve the win.
The Golden Bears attempted a fourth-quarter rally with goals from Roy and Jack Houlden but were ultimately unable to overcome the Hawks' early lead. Roy led the Golden Bears with two goals and an assist, while goalie Jonathon Salsbury recorded nine saves in the loss.
The Hawks were efficient on clears (27-for-28) and outpaced the Golden Bears in caused turnovers, helping limit opportunities for the visitors. Ground ball battles went to the Golden Bears 41–30, but the Hawks clinical shooting (20 shots on goal out of 34 attempts) proved decisive.
Roger Williams (7-7, 3-2 CNE) will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup on the road at Nichols in Dudley, Mass. on Tuesday, April 15th at 4:00pm.
